Well, the season of long weekends and lazy, outdoor cooking is upon us, so what better meal to share with you this week than grilled chicken drumsticks and broccoli salad. Classic outdoor foods, yeah? My Blueberry BBQ sauce is a great addition to grilled chicken and the slight sweetness of it pairs perfectly with my timeless broccoli salad. Someone once told me my broccoli salad was so good he wanted to climb into the bowl with the broccoli and eat his way out. There may have been a few adult beverages consumed before he paid me this compliment, but I still find it flattering all the same. With that endorsement, how can you not try this meal immediately! Enjoy!

Can you even believe that Memorial Day weekend is happening in just two days? I feel like a broken record sometimes, but where does the time go?! I'm hardly complaining. Summer is my favorite time of year (I'm sure most of you agree!) so I couldn't be more excited. For all of you who will be road-tripping this weekend, or taking a day on the lake, or packing a picnic for the pool, this recipe is fresh, light, and perfect to make ahead of time and take on the go. No fuss! I combine my two loves of tarragon and chicken salad into my very own version of Green Goddess Chicken Salad and it's officially one of my favorite things. I hope you enjoy it too!

This week, I'm sharing another one-pot meal with you all. I honestly can't remember what inspired this dish, but once I made it the first time I knew I wanted to turn it into a recipe. Originally, I made this brothy bean and bacon dish to serve with seared scallops and it was light, yet hearty. Rustic yet special-feeling. While scallops are one of my favorite foods, they are a bit pricey for a weeknight meal solution, so I swapped them for shrimp in this version. And, you know I gotta add that extra "veggie boost" so I simmered some kale into the mix as well. I realized this makes two, warm-food-in-a-bowl dinners in back-to-back posts, right as we get into the warmer months, but I can't explain it; this dish still feels apropos for spring. The broth is light and the meal is quick and easy, and with all your veggies, proteins and starches in one bowl you don't have to fuss over more than one dish. It will feel like a meal that simmered slowly all day, when really, it takes less than 30 minutes. Dinner, fast! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved cream-based soups. As a kid, I judged restaurants specifically on whether or not they had good Cream of Broccoli. Creamy Potato and New England Clam Chowder rounded out my top three favorites. I remember when I learned that not all clam chowders were creamy - that there was a red version of clam chowder out in the world somewhere and I just thought, "who would ever order that?!?" I vowed never to be one of them. So, the other day, you know the story, I was super busy, running all around, and becoming quite hungry. With zero time to get home and prepare lunch, I decided to pick up some soup at the grocery store salad bar (I'm at a grocery store almost every day). I chose an old favorite, clam chowder. It's been awhile since I indulged in a creamy soup, and as I was eating it I wondered why it was so boring. Creamy, yes. Chunky, yes. Both good things. But it fell totally flat on flavor. It felt kinda sad, to be honest. Immediately, I was inspired to re-invigorate the classic soup for this week's "What's for Dinner" post.

A little over a month ago, I shared this recipe for panko crusted chicken, then a few weeks ago I shared this recipe for one-pot pasta. This week, I combine two of these easy techniques onto one plate. The crispy, golden panko crust will make zucchini the star of your meal (shout out to all my meat-free friends!) while the simmer-into-a-sauce pasta trick will turn ordinary orzo into a creamy, cheesy, risotto-style side dish. I add a little spicy Italian sauce into the pasta so our meat-lovers and veg-heads can live in harmony all in one meal. To amp it up one step further, I include my recipe for sun-dried tomato pesto. Another simple technique I've posted about before, with just a few simple ingredients.

Hi! I'm Emily, and this is the official blog of Guest Chef, my personal chef and catering business serving Metro Detroit. As much as I love to cook for people, I also love inspiring others to cook great food for themselves and their friends and family. Which is why I share recipes, tips and inspiration here. Follow along and let's cook something great together!